Fitness goals

[cjsmith]

I'm missing anything to do with physical fitness in my life.

My foot problems make many activities challenging or downright not worth it. For well over a decade, I've just ignored the whole physical fitness realm. But I'm getting tired of being a complete couch potato.

I guess the first step is to decide what my goals are. Do I want to build a STRONG body? A STURDY AND RESILIENT body? A FLEXIBLE body? A body that MAY AGE WELL?

(Note the total lack of "slender" or "sculpted" in this list of possibilities. As long as I'm still carrying breasts around there's really no point making any minor optimizations to the rest of me, and besides, I think I am past the age where skin shrinks.)

Those of you who do or who consider doing physical fitness stuff: what are your goals?

Comments

[nosrednayduj]

Apparently I have a goal of bicycling at least 2000 miles in a year. (More on that in a future post.) I try to "do something for at least 20 minutes" every day. Mostly this involves feet in some way (biking, walking, skating, stair stepper), but I also do yoga, which does involve feet, but there are modified yoga things that can be done on a chair or kneeling. In actual fact, I manage to "do something" for more like 45-60 minutes every day (with occasional 2.5 hour outliers like today), but partly that's because I work part-time. In fact, that one of the REASONS I work part-time! How I use my extra 2 hours a day: one hour for sleep, one hour for exercise.

Anyway, I recommend trying to find some yoga practice that can give you modifications where you're on your feet less. I went to yoga for a group outing (organized by someone else) about 12 years ago, decided to go back a few weeks later, discovered after I'd been going regularly for a month that my back had stopped hurting. Cheaper than a massage! Surprisingly, I found the mindfulness bit helpful as well. I am less frustrated by things I can't control than I used to be. I breathe through traffic.

I would say Hatha yoga would be the thing to start with. That's the kind where you hold a pose for 10-20 seconds, then do another pose. I do Power Vinyasa, which means "flow", so you're moving more quickly between poses It may be harder to get modifications figured out on the fly. When I started I had fewer injuries so I didn't need much in the way of modifications; after spraining my ankle and messing up both knees I now need mods, but I'm experienced enough to figure them out. Don't go to Bikram yoga. They are drill sergeants and averse to modifications. I found them kind of interesting as an anthropological study, but they're not my cup of tea.

So I didn't answer your question. I want a body that's more flexible and will age well. Strength is useful but not a goal.

[cjsmith]

Yeah, any yoga instructor that can figure out what to do with a person who can't do Downward Dog would probably earn lifelong loyalty from me. :) I've looked a bit and eventually gave up.

I should probably think more about what "age well" actually means. Hmmmm. Less injury-prone (flexible, somewhat toned, good at balance)? Cardiovascular activity?